Eddie Alvarez open to welterweight bout with Conor McGregor, says it's a nightmare matchup for "Notorious"

As the most electric fighter in mixed martial arts (MMA) today, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight king Conor McGregor is a human target chock-full of crosshairs. The Irish sensation is so prolific around these parts that even fighters outside of the 145-pound division want to cash in on the payday he offers.

Just look at how popular Nate Diaz has become.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise that newly crowned Lightweight king Eddie Alvarez has thrown his hat into the ring in order to publicly challenge McGregor, state his claim to the biggest score of his storied MMA career and attempt to bring his fame to new levels.

"I started my career at 170," said Alvarez during UFC 201's Q&A earlier this week when asked about McGregor's upcoming Welterweight rematch with Diaz at UFC 202 on Aug. 20. "Actually, I wouldn't have to make the cut, so I'd actually appreciate that if he made it at 170. I don't like going to 155; I do it because everyone else does. It just means we'll have a better training camp, more power, and it will be a little more enjoyable. 100 percent, I'd fight McGregor at welterweight."

Remember, Alvarez once said that McGregor vs. Diaz is an absolute freakshow. But the 32-year-old now seems willing to get his hands dirty, get a little freaky and prove that "Notorious" has be given favorable matchups throughout his UFC career.

"What I'm seeing is not the right style matchups," added Alvarez. "He's fighting the perfect style matchups. He's not fighting the guys that will threaten him the way I can, the way a lot of these wrestlers can."

"If you look at his fights, he hasn't been in a lot of bad positions, and there's a reason for that. I'm not the style matchup that's in his favor. I can put him in bad places, and I don't think he'll be able to adapt or overcome."

Before McGregor ever thinks about a matchup with "The Underground King," he must first get past Diaz at UFC 202 then defend his Featherweight title for the time against Jose Aldo in a highly-anticipated rematch later this year.

After that, Alvarez can try all he wants to lock down the biggest fight of his career and prove his well-rounded arsenal can thwart McGregor's striking.